


Chain of Hope

by hellskitchensmurdock



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Leo Fitz-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-10 13:07:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13502182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellskitchensmurdock/pseuds/hellskitchensmurdock
Summary: "I tried to take the blame for everything not too long ago. I dyed my hair. I ran away. I thought that separating myself from the team would help me protect it. But in truth, I kind of just lost myself. And you you were the one who pulled me back in."[Fitz and Daisy through season four + Fitz and Hunter in season five]





	1. one.

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know if this is a good idea or not, but I was just playing around with this and I kinda like it enough so here it is. I hope you enjoy.

It wasn’t hard for Fitz to find her again. Actually, it was, but he found her in six days, rather than the six months Mack and Coulson had took. He tried to convince himself he didn’t really know why he was doing this, that all he wanted was to talk to a friend, but he did and he couldn’t run from that.

He was angry and he yelled at her. It was wrong to do that, especially since he was beginning to understand. Yes, he didn’t know what it was like to have his mind controlled by an inhuman and be forced to hurt and kill people, including friends. What he did know was that urge to run away. To run away and go rouge and maybe even get revenge on someone who hurt you.

The first time he was eight. He had no intention of leaving his mum alone with the horrible man that was his dad. But his dad’s words were etched into his head. He was stupid and worthless and as much as he wanted to stop being a burden, he couldn’t leave his mum.

The second time he felt this way was back in the Academy. There was nothing specific that time. He was a sixteen year old who wanted adventure. He wanted to run and explore and maybe there was a voice still telling him that he was worthless and stupid whenever he couldn’t figure out a problem or got an answer wrong. Jemma pulled him back in. He made the mistake of seeing her before leaving. She realized quickly, too quickly, what he was planning to do and convinced him to stay.

The third time was years later, everything had changed and maybe, this time, it was specific and he did want revenge. On Ward and all of Hydra. It was right after Simmons left. He was angry all the time. He couldn’t solve his problems or do his job or talk properly or stop his hands from shaking. He knew the team wouldn’t have cared if he left. Maybe, if they cared at all, they would be grateful once they realize that he is trying to bring Hydra down. He spent so long after convincing himself that the reason he didn’t was because deep inside, he knew that he couldn’t make a difference because of his brain damage. While that was true, the reality was that it was Jemma. Maybe she wasn’t there, but the hope that she would come back was enough.

Jemma kept him grounded, kept him from running. And Fitz was willing to bet that Lincoln could do that for Daisy. But Fitz had hope that Jemma would come back. Daisy doesn’t have that. And yes, he felt betrayed, he _feels _betrayed, but after everything that happened to Daisy, he shouldn’t have yelled at her.__

__That was the real reason he had left the base at ten in the morning and was knocking on a van door with a briefcase and no idea what he was going to say fourteen hours later. He knew that Daisy could be asleep at two in the morning, but the pills for her wrist could only do so much, and the pain was probably keeping her awake. Maybe nightmares and guilt as well, but Fitz didn’t want to think about that._ _

__“Whatever drugs you plan on selling me.” She paused before opening the door. “I don’t- Fitz.”_ _

__He knew he had to be very careful if he wanted her to let him speak. “Just, hear me out?”_ _

__Her hesitation was clear. “Alright.” She eventually said. She opened the door wider and stepped out. Fitz put the brief case on the ground, next the tire and tried not to over analyse Daisy’s choice to have them sit on the hood of the van, rather than inside. She lent back against the glass and motioned him to do the same._ _

__He spent a minute looking over the cliff she had parked on. The trees either side, the stars above and the rocks going all the way down._ _

__“Here to tell me how much I betrayed you?” Daisy started. Part of him thought that she seriously thought that’s why he was here, but realized she would’ve told him to go away if she did. “Maybe that I need to come home?”_ _

__“No.” They both knew that was the answer to come, but it still seemed to surprise Daisy._ _

__“Then why are you here? And how did you find me?”_ _

__“Traced you using security cameras from when you left to a couple of days ago.” Fitz shrugged._ _

__“So no trackers or anything? It wasn’t that easy?”_ _

__“No, you’re good. But I’m Fitz.” He smiled when he heard a laugh from Daisy. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a slight smile on her face, thanks to the moonlight._ _

__“But…” He took a deep breath. _Careful Fitz. _“I wanted to apologise.”___ _

____“You do?”_ _ _ _

____“Just listen. I don’t understand what you went through or what you are feeling or why you ran. I do understand the need to run. That urge of just wanting to leave, run from… whatever” The silence that lingered held the true meaning of his last words. _Run from yourself. _“You’ve been through a lot of shit, and yes, I do feel betrayed that you left, but I never should’ve yelled at you.”___ _ _ _

______He took Daisy’s silence as a sign that he could continue. “I’ve done things that have hurt the team as well. Six months of lying and ignoring responsibilities and before now I would’ve never admitted it, but I was running. Maybe not physically, but I was running from the idea that Simmons’ was dead.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You got Bobbi to help you like Yoyo is helping me.” Fitz nodded._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And you never yelled at me. You supported me and tried to help.” Fitz didn’t know how to continue. So he chewed on his lip and collected his thoughts. He knew Daisy would be there once he was ready._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nothing is going to change how I feel. That’s my problem. But I wanted to apologize for yelling, way out of line.” Fitz shook his head. He opened his mouth, but Daisy cut him off._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I understand and I forgive you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“But I’m not coming home yet.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I figured.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re upset.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course I am. I miss you Daisy, and you shouldn’t do this to yourself. But I’m not going to force you to come home. That why a brought this.” He lent down and picked up the briefcase before handing it to her._ _ _ _ _ _

______Daisy opened it, even though she most likely knew what it was anyway. A grin spread across her face. “Thanks, Fitz.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The smile faded. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to come home. I thought it was the right thing to do, but it turns out that I just hurt you guys as well. But I still can’t come back because… Well you know.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We don’t blame you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You can’t know for sure.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“They probably don’t blame you.” Daisy laughed again. “I defiantly don’t. But weather we do or don’t we all want you to be safe and too come home when- _if _you are ready.” His voice cracked on if, and he hoped that Daisy hadn’t heard it.___ _ _ _ _ _

________Daisy’s voice was so soft he wasn’t sure he was meant to hear. “What if they don’t want me home anymore?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Fitz still responded. “We’ll always want you to come home.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They sat in silence for a long time. Five minutes past and he swore he heard Daisy say ‘Thank you’ in an even softer voice than before. Ten minutes and she’s resting her hand on his. Fifteen and her head is on his shoulder. Twenty five and his is tilted to rest on top of hers. Forty and if it wasn’t for her uneven breaths of pain, he would’ve been convinced she was asleep. Fifty and Daisy’s voice shook him from nearly nodding off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Do the team know you are here?” Daisy didn’t move her head and neither did he._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No. They think I’m at Radcliffe’s.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So you and Radcliffe are friends?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yeah, Jemma a lot more busy cause she’s in the Director’s inner circle so…” Fitz said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“And where does Radcliffe think you are?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Am I that predictable? _“He thinks I’ve gone off to do some research for a project that we are working on.”__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh what is it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Artificial Reality. We call it the Framework.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That sounds so cool!” He could feel Daisy’s grin on his shoulder. He chuckled and smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, it is. I’ll be make sure to show you once it’s done.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m counting on it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They kept talking. All was forgiven and Fitz was happy he was with Daisy. Maybe it wasn’t perfect, but it was the best he was going to get. And for that he was grateful, because the best could be much worse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They feel asleep on the van’s roof. Daisy still had her hand resting on top of Fitz’s while her other one was on top of the briefcase and her head was on his shoulder. His head was still resting on hers and his other hand rested on his leg._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was midday before he was woken up by the vibrating of his phone in his pocket. Texts he could deal with later. He was still on the hood, slightly stiff. Daisy was still there, same as she was last night but had woken up before him. “Morning.” She lifted her head and smiled. Her bruises looked much worse in the sun, but had considerably healed in the past week. “You should probably deal with that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He got his phone out just as Radcliffe had begun to call. “Hello?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Fitz! How to the research go.” Radcliffe said into his ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ah, dead end. Sorry, I know you were hoping for something.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s alright. You heading back?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah I should be, I’m just doing last minute checks in case I missed anything. Is everything alright?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah, yeah. Just Coulson’s been asking for you and Jemma is worried.” _Shit. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh,” He kept his voice even and calm. “Tell them I’ll be back tomorrow morning. And tell Jemma I’m okay.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Alright, I will. See you soon Fitz.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Bye.” He hung up and put his phone back in his pocket before taking a breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Everything alright Fitz?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah, I’m good. Just I’m worried I’m going to have to lie more and that I’ll mess up and they’ll find you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“It’ll be okay, Fitz. Honestly, I thought you were telling the truth for a second. Also, I can drive you if you want. You’ll have to walk a bit still, but I can get you most of the way back to the base.” Daisy smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Can you take me to Radcliffe’s? My legs still hurt from getting here.” Fitz smiled as Daisy laughed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Of course.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It took less than fourteen hours to get to Radcliffe’s with Daisy driving. He was at his friend’s house before midnight. Before he got out of the car he turned to Daisy. “I was thinking about what you said last night, how you thought we might not want you to come home.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Daisy’s glanced down at her hands before nodding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She looked back up to see he had two plain, long chains around his neck. One sliver, one gold._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Hunter gave them to me, said that they were proof that he would be there for me, even if he left SHIELD for whatever reason. And he said not just him, but everyone at Shield is would be there.” Fitz smiled at the memory of the conversation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I never realized how close you and Hunter really were.” Daisy chuckled. “And that is kinda cliché and so unlike Hunter but also really like him at the same time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Fitz laughed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Yeah, well. With the brain damage and loosing Simmons and not seeing you all as much because you were all out of missions, it really helped to have physical proof.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He took the silver one off and gently placed it in her hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I don’t understand why you are giving this to me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“So you have physical proof that we will always want you to come home. Always wait for you. Every time you doubt that, you have that chain to remind you.” He put the gold one under his shirt and put his hand on Daisy’s shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Thank you for letting me stay with you. I’ll miss you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She pulled him into a hug. “I’ll miss you too, Fitz.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He smiled and got out of her van before going to Radcliffe’s door and knocking. Daisy drove away before Radcliffe had the chance to see her van. She stopped outside a house around the corner, where she could no longer been seen by Radcliffe or Fitz. She looked at the sliver chain for a moment before smiling. _Maybe they would wait for me. _She put it around her neck and began to drive again.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Fitz told no one that he saw Daisy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________And when Daisy came back, she didn’t mention it either._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. two.

Fitz decided to go to the lab after he got back from Radcliffe’s. He didn’t have anything to work on, but lately it’s been harder for him to sleep. Going back to his room would mean Jemma would, once again, realise that he went another night without sleep. It would be easier just to say he fell asleep while watching the game at Radcliffe’s and came back early in the morning.

Only the director and the main team lived on base. All the other agents had homes nearby that they could go to at night. Fitz did technically have one, with Jemma of course, but with all that was going on, it was easier to stay on the base most nights. Since it was harder for him to get to sleep, he was staying on base even if Jemma had gone home. He’d stay in the lab, sometimes working, sometimes just messing around with whatever he could.

Tonight he was on his computer, looking through past designs. Designs from way back in his academy days to ones he had recently come up with. Some completed, some not. Some had been built and some hadn’t been approved. He wasn’t looking for anything but a way to kill time.

He sighed and put his head on the desk. He felt so run down and exhausted, but he could never sleep. It started after he nearly died. A few weeks ago when he, Coulson and Robbie where stuck in that… He still didn’t know what it was. Everyone thought they had died and he remember feeling like he finally was. After going to the bottom of the ocean, another planet, facing Hydra and everyone else who opposed them, he felt like he should’ve died years ago. Of course, he didn’t want to. But he constantly felt as though it could happen at any moment.

He also remembered feeling so tired but so energetic at the same time. He wanted to run and run and he felt like he could for days, but the thought also made him feel exhausted. As if he could just sleep forever. And maybe in that dimension he could. Who knows what was possible there. There were so many questions and they all floated around the back of his mind.

He looked up the see his screen had gone black. He could barely see his reflection in the screen but he could tell that he looked like a zombie. He may have felt like he could survive but he knew it didn’t look like him. He could also see someone walking into the lab through the door behind him. He turned and smiled when he saw Daisy.

He had thought that Daisy wouldn’t come home as quickly as she did. After their talk, he was sure she would go off again and he would have to go half way across the country to see her again. But, instead, she had decided to come home.

“Hey.” She smiled and pulled up a chair and sat by Fitz. “Everything alright?”

“I know I look like shit, you can just say it.” Fitz said, making Daisy laugh. “But yeah, I’m fine just haven’t been able to sleep since I nearly died.”

“That can’t be fun.” Daisy grimaced.

“Isn’t… I’ve slept about four hours every couple of nights, average, since.” Fitz sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “But, it seems to be getting better, I think.”

“Why don’t you talk to Jemma or Coulson or someone? They could get you something to help just ‘til it gets better.” Daisy said, her head tilted in confusion.

Fitz shook his head. “Nah, it’s no use. I can survive.”

“Or do you just not want to bother them?”

Fitz looked away. “Yeah.” He said in a voice so deep and quiet he wasn’t sure Daisy heard. He cleared his throat and begun to speak again. “So, why’d you come here?”

“I know this meant a lot to you so now that I’m home I thought you’d want it back so…” When Daisy reached to take off the necklace, he leant over and gently held her wrist, shaking his head.

“Keep it. Sometimes, there are gonna be days where you doubt that you should’ve come home. It’s gonna suck, but it’s gonna happen. Keep it to remind yourself on those shitty days.” He smiled slightly, letting go of her wrist.

She started playing with the chain, which remained around her neck. “Do you still feel as though you are alone?”

He nodded. “There are days were I feel as though even Simmons isn’t with me, but this reminds me that you all are. Before Simmons I had no friends. I don’t know if it was shyness or no one liked me or my dad but, I just didn’t. Instead, I was just bullied. So it was the world versus me until I was sixteen and Jemma Simmons entered my life.” He chuckled while Daisy smiled.

“Thank you, Fitz.” She stood up and hugged him. He didn’t hesitate to return it. “Let me talk to Jemma or Coulson, please.”

Fitz gave in and nodded. He didn’t say anything, but he hoped Daisy knew he was thankful.

The next night he and Jemma were alone in the lab, working late. He was so focused on his work he didn’t hear the door open or the footsteps that followed. He didn’t even notice there was a person standing next to him until Jemma spoke.

“Ah, Coulson! Thank you for coming down.” Jemma’s voice was as cheery as ever. He stopped his work and took in the scene. Jemma had gone to find something and Coulson was standing beside him.

“Did Daisy talk to you?” He asked.

“Yes.” He knew Coulson would ask the question, the one where he asks about him finding Daisy, he just hoped Jemma didn’t hear.

Jemma came back over before Coulson could open his mouth, with two pill bottles. She placed them down in front of them. “I took the brain scans the two of you had done after you came back and adapted these to it. It will get better over time, but for now you will both need them.”

She smiled as they both picked up the bottles. “Thanks, Simmons.”

“Yeah, thank you.” Fitz said.

She quickly hugged Fitz. “I’ll see you in a minute, Coulson said he wanted to speak to you”

He watched her walk out of the lab and around the corner. He knew the question was coming any second.

So when Coulson made a statement instead, his eyes widened. “Daisy said you went to her, she also said that I shouldn’t mention it around anyone else.”

“Daisy didn’t want to come home at the time, I didn’t want people to find out where she was and try to make her. Besides, tell anyone now and they’ll be upset I lied to them.” He shrugged, trying to play off the guilt he felt.

“I get it, Fitz. She told me that you had went to tell her that she could come home when she was ready. And that we would be here with open arms when she did. She also told me that you really helped her realise that she didn’t have to run forever. You really helped her Fitz, in a way we couldn’t because we were blinded by our feelings. You put yours aside, found her and made the truth clear to her.” Coulson put his hand on Fitz’s shoulder.

Fitz smiled. “After I realised I was blinded, I started to understand a little bit of how Daisy felt.”

Coulson’s face was unreadable, but Fitz could tell from his eyes that he wanted to know more. He could’ve told him about how his father would tell him he was worthless at an age so young he would always, at least on a subconscious level, believe was true. Instead, he shrugged.

“I’ve wanted to run too. For my own reasons, obviously.” Coulson nodded and had decided not to push. Besides, he could probably figure it out if he looked through his file.

What he did say, though, did make him realise he was playing with the chain around his neck. “Those chains have something to do with it, don’t they?” Fitz paused. “Daisy was playing with one around her neck.”

He shrugged again, trying to make the situation more casual than it was. “It was the day after you told me Simmons left to go to Hydra. It was a bad day. I could barely talk, my hands shaking so much I couldn’t even eat cereal without spilling it. I felt so worthless and alone and Hunter noticed. It was him who gave them both to me. Said the chains where a reminder I wasn’t alone and that physical reminders can help us when have negative thoughts.”

“You gave one to Daisy, to remind her that we were here for her?”

“Yeah. That we were here and waiting and would always want her to come home.”

Coulson smiled. “Thank you. Take tomorrow to rest up, I’ll speak to Mace in the morning.” He turned around and before he walked out, he stopped to ask one last question. "How _did_ you find her?"

"Followed her through five days worth of street cameras. Took a sixth to get to her without being followed."

"Huh." He nodded and began to walk again, leaving him alone in the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so there's a bit of Coulson and Fitz here as well.


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is a bit shorter sorry

Ever since coming out of the Framework she couldn’t stop thinking about the silver chain around her neck. Every time she doubted herself or wanted to leave again or had a generally bad day, Daisy would remember the cold chain Fitz had gave her. The Framework had made Daisy realize that this was her family and no matter the circumstances, they would find their way back to each other.

For Fitz, it made him believe he was some kind of monster the others knew he wasn’t. Ever since they got out Fitz’s eyes were darker, he kept to himself more. The only person he had spoken to before he attempted to turn himself in was Simmons. It was so obvious to Daisy he hated himself for what he did and it broke her heart.

She remembered when she was Skye and he was a more awkward than now genius scientist fresh out of a lab with his best friend. He was young and innocent and Daisy hated the universe for putting Leo Fitz through all this shit. Out of all the people Daisy had ever met, this team didn’t deserve any of the shit they had to deal with. They were all good people, especially Fitz. Yes, he sets angry easily and maybe he went semi-rouge for six months and maybe Fitz isn’t perfect but as far as Daisy knew, he never did anything with malicious intent.

He creates inventions that save many people and goes into missions head first to save. Not to kill, not for revenge, to save. She could say that she hadn’t wanted to kill or seek revenge. Fitz was one of the best people she knew and he ended up waking from a nightmare which he created. And where he was the monster.

The silver chain is somehow always cold against her skin. She remembered instantly noticing that she didn’t have it as soon as she woke up in that bathtub. Now she knew she would have to give it back to Fitz. She knew he needed it more. She stopped at the door of the diner to wait for Fitz.

“Daisy?” May paused as Mack and Yoyo walked past her to follow Coulson.

“Need to talk to Fitz, save me a seat.” She smiled, just, and watched May enter the diner.

She watched as Fitzsimmons came up to the door. They had left a few minutes after the others and only just turned the corner. Before the Framework, they would’ve been closer but now their hand just brushed in a way that could be called an accident.

Daisy knew they both wanted to hold each other. She knew Simmons didn’t want to push him and that Fitz didn’t want to hurt her.

As they approached the door Daisy nodded before asking if Fitz could stay outside for a minute more.

“Yeah?” He had started talking less. All within a day. Daisy would yell at the universe if it would help.

“Hold your hand out.” Once he had she took the chain from around her neck and placed it in his hand. She shook her head as he opened his mouth to protest.

“This had helped me, it really has, but I know you need it more than me now.” Daisy took a deep breath before continuing. Careful Daisy. “The Framework made me realise that we are family, that we will always come back to each other one way or another, even if we don’t remember why. It made me realise that you guys will all have my back. But I think that it made you think something… else.”

“It made me realise I’m a monster, Daisy.” Fitz shook his head. “You don’t need to sugar coat it or anything. I know exactly who I am know. I’m dangerous. I’m a murderer. Daisy.” His voice broke. “I’m a bad man.”

Daisy tried to keep her expression neutral. She shook her head again before talking again. “That’s not true. And that’s why I want to give you the chain back. You’re reminder that you aren’t a bad man. That we have you’re back like you have ours.”

“I don’t deserve it.”

“I believed the same once. You helped me believe I did. Let me help you as much as I can before…” She truly did not want to face what was to come. Being arrested? Locked up? Not something she was looking forward too.

“You guys don’t deserve this.”

“Neither do you.”

He slipped the necklace over his neck. “Maybe one day I can believe that.”

Daisy smiled. “Let’s go inside.”

He nodded and followed her in. Daisy didn’t answer any questions as to what they were talking about and it didn’t seem as if Simmons was going to ask Fitz. She knew he wasn’t instantly going to be better overnight, but she knew it was a start. Sometimes you just need to start, everything else falls into place.


	4. four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is really short but I wanted to get this finished. I've been having so many fic ideas lately and I don't want to write so many at once. Anyways, this is the last part and I hope you all have enjoyed this.

Hunter drove was Fitz was leaning against the window with his eyes closed. Hunter knew he wasn't asleep, but he left him be. He didn't know what had happened to Fitz, but he did feel a sense of guilt from him. He wasn't going to say anything, but he had a feeling that Fitz wanted to make that device so he could stay there a little longer. Pay for whatever crimes he had committed. He didn't plan on saying anything until he saw the shiny gold and silver chains on his neck.

"You still wear them." He wasn't sure if he intended it as a question or a statement. But whatever it was, it hung in the air.

"Yeah." Fitz didn't continue for a while. "You were right. Having a physical reminder helped. Even after I got better."

Usually, Hunter would've made a remark about how he was always right, but it felt wrong. Instead he smiled. "I'm glad."

"I gave one of them to Daisy, thought it might help her. Lincoln died and Daisy took it pretty hard. She blamed herself for what had happened with Hive and his death... She ran. I yelled at her and needed to make it right." Fitz swallowed "It helped me, thought it might help her too."

"Did it?"

Fitz nodded. "Yeah, think it did anyways."

"But she gave it back?"

"After the Framework, I was going to to turn myself in. They convinced me not too. Clearly I ended up getting arrested anyways but... She said I needed them more. She was right." Fitz gave a chuckled that set off alarms in the back of his mind. Never had Hunter witnessed Fitz being so... self-depreciating. "I don't deserve it."

For a moment Hunter thought he was going to take off the chains, but his hands never moved.

"What happened in there, Fitz?" Hunter's voice was barely above a whisper. He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't been loud or blunt.

Fitz shook his head. "Bad things. Murder, torture... I hurt the whole team, one way or another." 

"Do you believe you are a bad person?" Hunter surprised himself, he didn't even know where that question came from. He expected Fitz's answer, but that didn't mean his heart didn't break any less.

"Yes." His voice cracked and Hunter made sure to keep his eyes on the road. "Do you?"

"No. I don't believe for a second you would've done those things if you had a choice."

Fitz didn't reply and Hunter had nothing else to say. He would never believe, for a second, believe Fitz was a bad person.


End file.
